At the opening of this widely praised story by the author of Dragon Bones and Peony in Love, 80-year-old Lily is haunted by memories of who she once was, of her family, and of a friend, long gone, who defined her existence. Lily remembers her childhood in 1830s China, when she was little more than a burden to her family, until it was found that she had perfect arches for binding her feet into the tiniest, most desirable form—a mark of great honor. It was decided she should be matched with a laotong, or "old same," a friendship intended to be lifelong, for the benefit of both girls. Lily and her laotong Snow Flower communicate in a secret language called nü shu (the only written language known to be devised by women for their private use, practiced for more than a thousand years in Hunan), and truly support each other through the horrific foot-binding process, arranged marriages, and motherhood. But Lily, whose status and prosperity have only grown, misreads a message from the less fortunate Snow Flower, and betrays her laotong. Only much later, as Snow Flower is dying, does Lily rediscover what she cast aside.

"The wonder of this book is that it takes readers to a place at once foreign and familiar—foreign because of its time and setting, yet familiar because this landscape of love and sorrow is inhabited by us all. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a triumph on every level, a beautiful, heartbreaking story."—Washington Post